Science Fiction & Fantasy Catalogue: January 2017

All the books in this catalogue are new books due for release in January 2017.

If you prefer to view as a PDF, it is here:

Because they are new books, we are at the whim of the publishers and, to some extent, the shipping companies – books can sometimes arrive later (or earlier) than, or occasionally be a different retail price, than originally quoted. Because space is a luxury, we bring in limited quantities of books. Prices are subject to change without notice.

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1–2 paperbacks (up to 500g), $7.95

2–10 paperbacks or any trade paperbacks or hardcovers, within Brisbane, is $10.60

A Dream Of Ice (Earthend Saga 02)Anderson, Gillian & Rovin, Jeff
After uncovering a mystical link to the ancient civilisation of Galderkhaan, child psychologist Caitlin O’Hara is left with strange, new powers. Suddenly she can heal her young patients with her mind and see things from other places and other times. But as she learns more about her powers, she also realises that someone is watching her, perhaps hunting her – and using her son to do it. Meanwhile, Mikel Jasso, a field agent for a mysterious research organisation, is searching for Galderkhaani ruins in Antarctica. After falling down a crevasse, he discovers the entire city has been preserved under ice and that the mysterious stone artefacts he’s been collecting are not as primitive as he thought. As Mikel and Caitlin work to uncover the mysteries of the Galderkhaani, they realise that the person hunting Caitlin and the stones may be connected – in ways they never knew possible. The sequel to A Vision of Fire ($19.99).Paranormal thriller | PBK | $19.99

Silverwolf (Rowankind 02)Bedford, Jacey
In Winterwood, (PBK, $19.95), lady pirate Ross Tremayne helped launch a revolution in which the rowankind, kin to the fae, threw off their bondage to humans. Now war between England and Napoleon’s France is brewing, wild magic is growing, and Ross is caught in the middle of dangerous conflictHistorical fantasy | PBK | $19.95

City of Miracles (Divine Cities 03)Bennett, Robert Jackson
Shara Komayd, once Prime Minister of Saypur, has been assassinated. News travels fast and far, even to a remote logging town somewhere northwest of Bulikov, where the silent, shaven-headed Dreyling worker ‘Bjorn’ picks up the newspaper and walks out. He is shocked and grieved and furious; he’s been waiting thirteen years for Shara, his closest friend, to reach out to him – to tell him to come home. He’s always believed she was running a long operation, that there would be a role for him at the right time. Now he has no one else in his life, and nothing to live for – except to find the people who did this. Sigrud wasn’t there for the death of his daughter Signe, and he wasn’t there when Shara was murdered. Now, Bjorn is dead and Sigrud is back. And he will find answers, for Shara, and for himself. He’s made a promise… Follows City of Stairs (PBK, $19.99) and City of Blades (PBK, $22.99).Fantasy | TP | $32.99

A Promise of Fire (Kingmaker trilogy 01)Bouchet, Amanda
In the icy North, where magic is might, an all-powerful elite – ruthlessly guided by a glacial Queen – have grown to dominate the world. Now, rebellion is stirring in the rough, magic-poor South – where, for the first time in memory, a warlord has succeeded in uniting the tribal nations. Stuck in the middle is Cat – circus performer and soothsayer – safely hidden behind heavy makeup, bright colours, and the harmless illusion of the circus. Until someone suspects she’s more, than she seems.Fantasy | PBK | $19.99

Breath of Fire (Kingmaker trilogy 02)Bouchet, Amanda
Catalia Fisa, Lost Princess, has been running from destiny her whole life. Yet deep down, she has always believed that the prophecy shadowing her every step is inescapable: her unimaginable power will bring unfathomable disaster. But now her newfound loved ones are caught – between the shadow of Cat’s tortured past, and the threat of her world-shattering future. Although it may be that this, even with all her power, is still the one battle she cannot win, Cat’s determined not to go down without a fight. As the realms descend into all-out war, Cat knows she must embrace the power at her command. With Griffin by her side and Gods willing, perhaps she can emerge victorious in this fiery forging of a new Kingdom.Fantasy | TP | $29.99

Fire Touched (Mercy Thompson 09)Briggs, Patricia
Tensions between the fae and humans are coming to a head. And when coyote shapeshifter Mercy and her Alpha werewolf mate, Adam, are called upon to stop a rampaging troll, they find themselves with something that could be used to make the fae back down and forestall out-and-out war: a human child stolen long ago by the fae. Defying the most powerful werewolf in the country, the humans, and the fae, Mercy, Adam, and their pack choose to protect the boy – no matter what the cost. But who will protect them from a boy, who is fire touched? The first in this great series is Moon Called ($19.95).Urban fantasy | PBK | $19.95

The Skill of Our Hands (Incrementalists 02)Brust, Steven & White, Skyler
A group of secretive immortals are thrown into turmoil by the murder of one of their own in Brust and White’s sequel to The Incrementalists ($19.95). The Incrementalists possess mortal bodies but immortal minds – as long as they can find willing host bodies to keep inhabiting. Able to share their memories, they seek to make the world a better place, albeit in ‘incremental’ fashion. In the first novel, one of their own committed suicide; this time, it’s the murder of the oldest Incrementalist, Phil, that disrupts immortality-as-normal. Phil’s fiancée, Ren, must investigate his killing with the help of a large cast: the handsome if bull-headed Oskar; meddling, haughty Irina; avuncular Jimmy; pragmatic doctor Kate, and others. Solving a murder should be easy when you can view the victim’s memories – and easier still when he can be resurrected. But the Incrementalists can’t agree on who Phil’s new host should be… and solving his murder is complicated by conflicting agendas and old wounds dating back to before the Civil War. ‘Secret societies, immortality, murder mysteries, and Las Vegas; all in one book? Shut up and take my money.’ – John Scalzi on The Incrementalists.Fantasy | HC | $47.95

The ReactionCoggan, Helena
Around Rose, the world is changing faster than either she or the Department can stop it. The laws which have, for years, maintained peace between magicals and non-magicals are breaking down, and two rival militias are gathering on the streets to prepare for a devastating war. As deeper, darker elements of her father’s past emerge, Rose begins to understand that the rules of good and evil – in which she has always believed – will not protect her anymore. In a world of monsters, how long can trust, loyalty and justice survive? And how much will Rose, herself, have to change to stay alive? The sequel to The Catalyst (PBK, $16.99).YA fantasy | PBK | $16.99

Spook’s: Dark Assassin (Starblade Chronicles 03)Delaney, Joseph
An assassin lurks in the darkness between earth and oblivion – but who are they, and what is their mission? The people of the County live in fear of the beasts bent on bringing the war to their home. How can they possibly hope to survive, when their fearsome enemies are fortified with the power of a god? Could the creature that moves in the darkness be the saviour, the County seeks?YA fantasy | PBK | $19.99

The Onion Girl (Newford series)De Lint, Charles
At the centre of all the entwined lives, in Newford, stands a young artist named Jilly Coppercorn, with her tangled hair, her paint-splattered jeans, a smile perpetually on her lips – Jilly, whose paintings capture the hidden beings that dwell in the city’s shadows. Now, at last, de Lint tells Jilly’s own story… for, behind the painter’s fey charm, lies a dark secret and a past she’s laboured to forget. And that past is coming to claim her, now. She’s very, very good at running. But life has just forced Jilly to stop. The first mass-market edition of this modern fantasy classic.Urban fantasy | PBK | $22.95

Truthwitch (Witchlands 01)Dennard, Susan
In a continent on the edge of war, two witches hold its fate in their hands. Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. After clashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home. Safi must avoid capture at all costs, as she’s a rare Truthwitch – able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden – lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult’s true powers are hidden, even from herself. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch. Also available, now, is the second Witchlands book: Windwitch (PBK, $16.99).YA fantasy | PBK | $16.99

The Queen of Blood (Queens of Renthia 01)Durst, Sarah
Everything has a spirit: the willow tree with leaves that kiss the pond, the stream that feeds the river, the wind that exhales fresh snow… But the spirits that reside within this land want to rid it of all humans. One woman stands between these malevolent spirits and the end of humankind: the queen. She alone has the magical power to prevent the spirits from destroying every man, woman, and child. But queens are still only human, and no matter how strong or good they are, the threat of danger always looms. Because the queen’s position is so precarious, young women are specially chosen to train as her heirs. Daleina, a seemingly quiet academy student, is under no illusions as to her claim to the throne, but simply wants to right the wrongs that have befallen the land. Meanwhile, the disgraced champion, Ven, has spent his exile secretly fighting against the growing number of spirit attacks. When Daleina and Ven join forces, these daring partners embark on a treacherous quest to find the source of the spirits’ restlessness – a journey that will test their courage and trust, and force them to stand against both enemies and friends to save their land… before it’s bathed in blood. First in a new series.Fantasy | TP | $29.99

1636: The Ottoman Onslaught (Ring of Fire 21)Flint, Eric
The modern West Virginia town of Grantville has been displaced in time to continental Europe in 1632. Now, four years have passed. The long-feared attack on Austria, by the Ottoman Empire, has begun. Armed with new weapons inspired by the time-displaced Americans of Grantville, the Turks are determined to do what they were unable to do, in the universe the Americans came from: capture Vienna.Alternate history | HC | $47.95

The Poison EaterGermain, Shanna
Poison never lies. Tali was once one of the seven martyrs of the Forgotten Compass. She barely escaped that life with her body and soul intact. Now, she has a new life – as a poison eater – in the city of Enthait. Here, she is hailed as one of the city’s protectors. No one knows her history; no one has asked about her past. She’s been here so long that Enthait is her home now, these are her people. She loves them and they her. But in the Ninth World, the past is a living, breathing thing. And when it hunts you down, you can run. You can fight, or you can die.Fantasy | PBK | $22.99

Bookburners (omnibus)Gladstone, Max; et al
Magic is real, and hungry. It’s trapped in ancient texts and artefacts; and only a few, who discover it, survive to fight back. Detective Sal Brooks is a survivor. She joins a Vatican-backed, black-ops, anti-magic squad: Team Three of the Societas Librorum Occultorum; and, together, they stand between humanity and the magical apocalypse. Some call them the Bookburners. They don’t like the label. Now available in print for the first time; after previously being released, serially, online; Bookburners was written collaboratively – by a team of some of the best writers working in fantasy: Max Gladstone, Margaret Dunlap, Mur Lafferty, Brian Francis Slattery; and illustrators: Mark Weaver and Jeffrey Veregge.Urban fantasy anthology | TP | $43.95

Death’s Mistress (Nicci Chronicles 01)Goodkind, Terry
Nicci has a past. Once she was a Sister of the Light, and once a Sister of the Dark. Once she was a tyrant’s most feared lieutenant and once a saviour’s most loyal ally. Once she swore to destroy a man, and then she fell in love with him. But now the world has been forged anew. Tyranny has been vanquished, the breach between the living and the dead healed, the stars themselves realigned by a formidable act of magic. The man she once swore to destroy is now Lord Rahl, ruler of a vast realm encompassing lands and peoples unknown. And Nicci is his emissary, charged with bringing word of his rule to a world shattered by terror and war. Her mission will take her into uncharted territories where she’ll face her greatest test yet. She’s helped save the world before, but this is the first time she’ll have to do it on her own. A new epic, set in the world ruled by Richard Rahl, bearer of the Sword of Truth.Fantasy | TP | $29.99

Lady Helen and the Dark Days Pact (Lady Helen 02)Goodman, Alison
After the scandalous events at her presentation ball in London, Lady Helen has taken refuge at the fashionable seaside resort of Brighton – where she is training to be a Reclaimer, with the covert Dark Days Club. As she struggles to put aside her genteel upbringing and take up the weapons of a warrior, Helen realises that her mentor, Lord Carlston, is fighting his own inner battle. Has the foul Deceiver energy poisoned his soul, or is something else driving him towards violent bouts of madness? Either way, Helen is desperate to help the man – with whom she shares a deep, but forbidden connection. When Mr Pike, the hard, bureaucratic heart of the Dark Days Club, arrives in Brighton, no one is prepared for the ordinary evil he brings in his wake. He has a secret task for Helen and Mr Hammond, and the authority of the Prince Regent. They have no choice but to do as he orders, knowing that the mission will betray everyone around them and possibly bring about Lord Carlston’s annihilation. Follows Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club (TP, $19.99). Recommended, for anyone who loves Regency-based fantasy!YA historical fantasy | TP | $29.99

The God WaveHemstreet, Patrick
For decades, scientists have speculated about the untapped potential of the human brain. Now, neuroscientist Chuck Brenton has made an astonishing breakthrough. He has discovered the key – the crucial combination of practice and conditioning – to access the incredible power dormant in ninety percent of our brains. Applying his methods to test subjects, he has stimulated abilities that elevate brain function to seemingly ‘godlike’ levels. These extraordinary abilities can transform the world, replacing fear and suffering with tranquillity and stability. But in an age of increasing militarisation, corporate exploitation, and explosive technological discovery, a group of influential power brokers is determined to control these new super beings for its own manipulative ends – and its motives may be far from peaceful. The first in a trilogy.Science fiction | TP | $32.99

Cart and Cwidder (Dalemark Quartet 01)Jones, Diana Wynne
For centuries, Dalemark has been a land divided by the warring earldoms of the North and South. Now, with the help of the mysterious gods of Dalemark, four extraordinary young people must join forces to reunify their beloved home. When twelve-year-old Moril’s father is murdered by soldiers, Moril inherits his ancient cwidder – a musical instrument, with a mysterious past. As Moril and his siblings embark on a dangerous journey to escape the evil forces around them, he gradually learns how to channel the cwidder’s strange and powerful magic. But is it enough to protect those he loves from the looming threat of war?Children’s fantasy | PBK | $16.99

Drowned Ammet (Dalemark Quartet 02)Jones, Diana Wynne
Now, with the help of the Undying, the mysterious gods of Dalemark, four extraordinary young people must join forces to reunify their beloved land. After his father mysteriously goes missing Mitt joins a group of freedom fighters plotting to overthrow the tyrannical ruler of Holand. But when his assassination attempt against the earl backfires, Mitt stows away on board a ship heading out to sea. As the boat is battered by storms Mitt finds himself alone among his enemies – except for the strange straw figure of Dalemark demigod Drowned Ammet tied to the prow of the ship…Children’s fantasy | PBK | $16.99

The Everything Box (Another Coop Heist 01)Kadrey, Richard
22,000 BC – A beautiful, ambitious angel stands on a mountaintop, surveying the world and its little inhabitants below. He smiles because, soon, the last of humanity who survived the great flood will meet its end, too. And he should know. He’s going to play a big part in it. Our angel usually doesn’t get to do field work; and, if he does well, he’s certain he’ll get a big promotion. And, now, it’s time… The angel reaches into his pocket, for the instrument of humanity’s doom. Must be in the other pocket. Then he frantically begins to pat himself down. Dejected, he realises he has lost the object. Looking over the Earth, at all that could have been, the majestic angel utters a single word: Crap. 2015 AD – A thief, named Coop – a specialist, in purloining magic objects – steals and delivers a small box to the mysterious client, who engaged his services. Coop doesn’t know that his latest job could be the end of him… and the rest of the world. Suddenly, he finds himself in the company of the Department of Peculiar Science, a fearsome enforcement agency that polices the odd and strange. The box isn’t just a supernatural heirloom, with quaint powers, they tell him. It’s a doomsday device. They think… And, suddenly, everyone is out to get it. Recommended, this first book in a new series is great fun.Urban fantasy | TP | $29.99

Six WakesLafferty, Mur
It was not common… to awaken in a cloning vat, streaked with drying blood. At least, Maria Arena had never experienced it. She had no memory of how she died. That was also new; before – when she had awakened, as a new clone – her first memory was of how she died. Maria’s vat was in the front of six vats, each one holding the clone of a crew member of the starship Dormire; each clone waiting for its previous incarnation to die – so, it could awaken. And Maria wasn’t the only one to die, recently… A space adventure, set on a lone ship – where the clones of a murdered crew must find their murderer… before they kill, again.Science fiction | TP | $31.95

Who’s Afraid Too?Lewis, Maria
Tommi Grayson: all bark, all bite… and, now, she’s back! After the sh*t show that was her family reunion, Tommi needed to get gone. She’s spent the last few weeks trying to understand her heritage – the one that comes with a side order of fur, as well as her Maori history – and how she can connect to it. But she can only escape, for so long – when an unspeakable evil, thought long destroyed, returns, Tommi needs every bit of the skills she’s learned. With the help of allies both old and new, she’s going to take the fight to the enemy… A sequel to the fantastic Who’s Afraid? (PBK, $19.99).Urban fantasy | TP | $29.99

The Wandering EarthLiu, Cixin
Eleven short stories from China’s greatest SF writer, including five Chinese Galaxy Award-winners, form a blazingly original ode to planet earth, its pasts and its futures.SF collection | TP | $29.99

The Paper MenagerieLiu, Ken
The first collection of Ken Liu’s multi-award-winning science fiction and fantasy tales. The eponymous story is the only one ever to win the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards.Collection | PBK | $19.99

The SeerLyris, Sonia
The Arunkel Empire has stood a thousand years, forged by wealth and conquest, but now rebellion is stirring on the borders and treachery brews in the palace halls. Elsewhere, in a remote mountain village, a young mother sells the prophecies of her sister, Amarta – in order to keep them, and her infant child, from starving. It’s a dangerous game when such revelations draw suspicion and mistrust, as often as they earn coin. Now, in a tapestry of loyalty, intrigue, magic, and gold, Amarta has become the key to a ruler’s ambitions.Fantasy | PBK | $19.95

Recluce Tales: Stories from the World of RecluceModesitt Jr, L E
A collection of short stories – set in the world of the Recluce Saga – features seventeen new tales, and four popular reprints; spanning the thousand-year history of Recluce, complemented by a background essay.Fantasy | HC | $36.99

Last Sacrifice (Tide of War 01)Moore, James A
Since time began, the Grakhul – immortal servants of the gods who choose who lives and who dies, when it comes time to make sacrifices to their deities – have been seeking to keep the world in balance and the gods appeased. When they take the family of Brogan McTyre to offer as sacrifice, everything changes. Brogan heads off on a quest to save his family from the Grakhul. The decision this time is costlier than they expected, leading to Brogan and his kin being hunted as criminals; and the gods seeking to punish those who’ve defied them. First in a new series.Fantasy | PBK | $22.99

UtopiaMore, Thomas
In celebration of the 500th anniversary of Utopia; with essays by Ursula K Le Guin and an introduction by China Miéville.Utopia | PBK | $16.99

Battle Hill Bolero (Bone Street Rumba 03)Older, Daniel José
Trouble is brewing between the Council of the Dead and the ghostly, half-dead, spiritual, and supernatural community they claim to represent. One too many shady deals have gone down, in New York City’ s streets, and those – caught in the crossfire – have had enough. It’s time for the Council to be brought down… this time, for good. Carlos Delacruz is used to being caught in the middle of things: both as an inbetweener, trapped somewhere between life and death, and as a double agent for the Council. But, as his friends begin preparing for an unnatural war, against the ghouls in charge; he realizes that more is on the line – than ever before – not only for the people he cares about, but for every single soul in Brooklyn, alive or otherwise… This series has had great customer feedback; and begins with Half-Resurrection Blues (PBK, $19.95).Urban fantasy | PBK | $19.95

Too Like the Lightning (Terra Ignota 01)Palmer, Ada
Mycroft Canner is a convict. For his crimes, he is required – as is the custom of the 25th century – to wander the world being as useful as he can, to all he meets. Carlyle Foster is a sensayer – a spiritual counsellor in a world that has outlawed the public practice of religion, but which also knows that the inner lives of humans cannot be wished away. The world into which Mycroft and Carlyle have been born is as strange, to our 21st-century eyes; as ours would be, to a native of the 1500s. It is a hard-won utopia built on technologically-generated abundance, and also on complex and mandatory systems of labelling all public writing and speech. What seem to us normal gender distinctions are now distinctly taboo in most social situations. And most of the world’s population is affiliated with globe-girdling clans of the like minded, whose endless economic and cultural completion is carefully managed by central planners of inestimable subtlety. And in this world, Mycroft and Carlyle have stumbled on the wild card that may destabilise the system: the boy Bridger, who can effortlessly make his wishes come true. ‘[It] manages to be several books at once: a serious philosophical treatise; a murder-mystery whose surprises buffet the reader like cold slaps out of nowhere that feel inevitable in hindsight; a piece of historical theory in narrative form; a thought-experiment about gender, nationality, identity and bigotry; and a gripping personal story whose players are likable, flawed, sexy, and sometimes terrifying…a book more intricate, more plausible, more significant, than any debut I can recall.’ – Cory Doctorow.Science fiction | TP | $31.95

Leviathan’s Blood (Children Trilogy 02)Peek, Ben
The immortal Zaifyr has arrived at the Floating Cities in chains, to await trial for murder. Despite this, he’s preparing for war against a new child god – for she will do anything to destroy those who stand in her way. Ayae must fight to protect the survivors, and finds herself ensnared in a web of political intrigue. She’ll find politics can be as lethal as any sword, and hers is not the only life at stake. Across the ocean, the exile Bueralan returns home. And he’s bearing a dead man’s soul around his neck. God-touched and grief-stricken, he treads a dangerous path. He’ll confront a legendary fighter… and discover a secret that will change the world. Follows The Godless (PBK, $19.99).Fantasy | PBK | $19.99

Carve the MarkRoth, Veronica
On a planet where violence and vengeance rule, in a galaxy where some are favoured by fate, everyone develops a currentgift, a unique power meant to shape the future. While most benefit from their currentgifts, Akos and Cyra do not – their gifts make them vulnerable to others’ control. Can they reclaim their gifts, their fates, and their lives, and reset the balance of power in this world? Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra’s currentgift gives her pain and power – something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother’s hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows. Akos is from the peace-loving nation of Thuvhe, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Though protected by his unusual currentgift, once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get his brother out alive – no matter what the cost. When Akos is thrust into Cyra’s world, the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. They must decide to help each other to survive – or to destroy one another. The first book in a new series, from the author of Divergent.YA science fiction | TP | $24.99

The Bands of Mourning (Mistborn 06)Sanderson, Brandon
The new Mistborn books move the series into a richly imagined 19th century analogue world, with elements of the wild west mixed with magic and science.Fantasy | PBK | $22.99

Miniatures: The Very Short Fiction of John ScalziScalzi, John
“The ex-planet Pluto has a few choice words about being thrown out of the solar system. A listing of alternate histories tells you all the various ways Hitler has died. A lawyer sues an interplanetary union for dangerous working conditions. And four artificial intelligences explain, in increasingly worrying detail, how they plan not to destroy humanity. Welcome to Miniatures: The Very Short Fiction of John Scalzi. These four stories, along with fourteen other pieces, have one thing in common: They’re short, sharp, and to the point – science fiction in miniature, with none of the stories longer than 2,300 words. But in that short space exist entire universes, absurd situations, and the sort of futuristic humour that propelled Scalzi to a Hugo, with his novel Redshirts. Not to mention yogurt taking over the world (as it would). Spanning the years from 1991 to 2016, this collection is a quarter century of Scalzi at his briefest and best, and features four never-before-printed stories, exclusive to this collection: ‘Morning Announcements at the Lucas Interspecies School for Troubled Youth’, ‘Your Smart Appliances Talk About You Behind Your Back’, ‘Important Holidays on Gronghu’, and ‘The AI Are Absolutely Positively Without a Doubt Not Here to End Humanity, Honest’.” – publisher’s blurb. This is a numbered (1231/1500), signed edition from Subterranean Press.Collection | HC | $75.00

Limit: Part 2Schätzing, Frank
It’s 2025, and the Chinese and the Americans are going head to head on the Moon for helium-3, the rare mineral which will solve all the Earth’s energy needs. But not everyone is happy. Billionaire Julian Orley’s space-elevator revolutionised space travel; now, he’s taking a group of international movers and shakers on the trip of a lifetime: to the first-ever hotel on the Moon, hoping to woo them into investing in the future of humanity. But not all of Orly’s guests are humanitarians: at least one is pursuing his own dark plot – and now there’s a time limit. And how is this linked with the cyber-detective Owen Jericho, the dissident hacker Yoyo, oil magnate Gerald Palstein – and the mysterious organisation called Hydra, who have their own – not very charitable – plans for the universe? Follows Limit: Part 1 (PBK, $24.99).Science fiction thriller | PBK | $24.99

Barsk: The Elephant’s GraveyardSchoen, Lawrence M
In a distant future, no remnants of human beings remain, but their successors thrive throughout the galaxy. These are the offspring of humanity’s genius-animals uplifted into walking, talking, sentient beings. The Fant are one such species: anthropomorphic elephants ostracised by other races, and long ago exiled to the rainy ghetto world of Barsk. There, they develop medicines upon which all species now depend. The most coveted of these drugs is koph, which allows a small number of users to interact with the recently deceased and learn their secrets. To break the Fant’s control of koph, an off-world shadow group attempts to force the Fant to surrender their knowledge. Jorl, a Fant Speaker with the dead, is compelled to question his deceased best friend – who, years ago, mysteriously committed suicide. In so doing, Jorl unearths a secret the powers that be would prefer to keep buried forever.Science fiction | PBK | $22.99

The TreesShaw, Ali
There is no warning. No chance to prepare. They arrive in the night: thundering up through the ground, transforming streets and towns into shadowy forest. Buildings are destroyed. Broken bodies, still wrapped in tattered bed linen, hang among the twitching leaves. Adrien Thomas has never been much of a hero. But when he realises that no help is coming, he ventures out into this unrecognisable world. Michelle, his wife, is across the sea in Ireland and he has no way of knowing whether the trees have come for her too. Then Adrien meets green-fingered Hannah and her teenage son Seb. Together, they set out to find Hannah’s forester brother, to reunite Adrien with his wife – and to discover just how deep the forest goes. Their journey will take them to a place of terrible beauty and violence, to the dark heart of nature and the darkness inside themselves.Dystopia | PBK | $19.99

The Ghoul Vendetta (SPI Files 04)Shearin, Lisa
Headquartered in New York City, the agents of Supernatural Protection & Investigations (SPI) serve as the paranormals’ law enforcement around the world. Makenna Fraser is a seer for SPI, using her power to suss out the supernatural bad guys. While on a (reconnaissance) date with goblin boyfriend Rake Danescu, aboard the yacht of a vampire gangster’s nephew and heir, Makenna and Rake are forced to watch said heir be kidnapped by swamp creatures and a kraken. At the same time, ghouls embark on a bank robbing spree in mid-Manhattan. Last, but not least, Makenna’s partner Ian is seized by the leader of these crime sprees, a shapeshifter whose ultimate goal is the destruction of humankind. The first in this superb series is The Grendel Affair ($19.95).Urban fantasy | PBK | $19.95

The Core of the SunSinisalo, Joanna
‘Finnish author Sinisalo creates a dystopian near-future Finland, where women are subjugated to the demands of men by a chilling system of law and eugenics, all in the name of promoting a placid, healthy, and successful society… the novel maintains an impressive grasp on plot and suspense, easily luring the reader into taking its characters, politics, and striking story to heart.’ – Kirkus Reviews.Dystopia | TP | $29.99

The High Ground (Imperial Saga 01)Snodgrass, Melinda
Emperor’s daughter Mercedes is the first woman ever admitted to the High Ground, the elite training academy of the Solar League’s Star Command, and she must graduate if she is to have any hope of taking the throne. Her classmate Tracy has more modest goals – to rise to the rank of captain, and win fame and honour. But a civil war is coming and the political machinations of those who yearn for power threatens the young cadets. In a time of intrigue and alien invasion, they will be tested, as they never thought possible. The first in a new series. Highly recommended!Space opera | PBK | $21.99

Dawn Study (Study 06)Snyder, Maria V
Despite the odds, Yelena and Valek have forged an irrevocable bond and a family that transcends borders. Now, when their two homelands stand on the brink of war, they must fight with magic and cunning to thwart an Ixian plot to invade Sitia. Yelena seeks to break the hold of the insidious Theobroma that destroys a person’s resistance to magical persuasion. But the Cartel is determined to keep influential citizens and Sitian diplomats in thrall; and Yelena at bay. With every bounty hunter after her, Yelena is forced to make a dangerous deal. With might and magic, Valek peels back the layers of betrayal surrounding the Commander. At its rotten core, lies a powerful magician and his latest discovery. The fate of all rests upon two unlikely weapons. One may turn the tide. The other could spell the end of everything. The conclusion to a wonderful series that begins with Poison Study ($19.99).Fantasy | PBK | $24.99

Empire GamesStross, Charles
The year is 2020. It’s seventeen years, since the Revolution overthrew the last king of the New British Empire, and the newly-reconstituted North American Commonwealth is developing rapidly, on course to defeat the French and bring democracy to a troubled world. But Miriam Burgeson, commissioner in charge of the shadowy Ministry of Intertemporal Research and Intelligence – the paratime espionage agency, tasked with catalysing the Commonwealth’s great leap forward – has a problem. For years, she’s warned everyone: ‘The Americans are coming.’ Now, their drones arrive – in the middle of a succession crisis. In another timeline, the US has recruited Miriam’s own estranged daughter, to spy across timelines, in order to bring down any remaining world-walkers who might threaten national security. Two nuclear superpowers are set on a collision course. Two increasingly-desperate paratime espionage agencies try to find a solution to the first-contact problem that doesn’t result in a nuclear holocaust. And two women – a mother and her long-lost daughter – are about to find themselves on opposite sides of the confrontation. The continuation of the brilliant Merchant Princes Saga, the first two of which are collected in the omnibus Bloodline Feud ($19.99). Highly recommended!Science fiction thriller | TP | $29.99

Age of Myth (Legends of the First Empire 01)Sullivan, Michael J
Since time immemorial, humans have worshipped the gods they call Fhrey, truly a race apart: invincible in battle, masters of magic, and seemingly immortal. But when a god falls to a human blade, the balance of power – between humans and those, they thought were gods – changes forever. Now, only a few stand between humankind and annihilation: Raithe, reluctant to embrace his destiny as the God Killer; Suri, a young seer burdened by signs of impending doom; and Persephone, who must overcome personal tragedy to lead her people. The Age of Myth is over. The time of rebellion has begun. First in a new series.Fantasy | PBK | $22.95

Occupy MeSullivan, Tricia
A woman with wings that exist in another dimension. A man trapped in his own body by a killer. A briefcase that is a door to hell. A conspiracy that reaches beyond our world. We follow our heroine as she attempts to track down a killer in the body of another man, and the man who has been taken over, his will trapped inside the mind of the being that has taken him over. And, at the centre of it all, a briefcase that contains countless possible realities.Science fiction | PBK | $22.99

No Time Like the Past (Chronicles of St Mary’s 05)Taylor, Jodi
St Mary’s has been rebuilt, and it’s nearly back to business as usual, for the history department. Except for the visit to St Paul’s Cathedral – with a seventeenth-century ghost that only Mr Markham can see. And getting trapped, in the Great Fire of London. And an unfortunately-timed vacation, at Thermopylae, that leaves the fate of the western world hanging in the balance… Actually, that sounds quite like business as usual, for Max and the gang. The first in this hugely entertaining series is Just One Damned Thing After Another (TP, $27.95).Science fiction/time travel | TP | $27.95

DefenderTodd, G X
In a world where long drinks are in short supply, a stranger listens to the voice in his head – telling him to buy a lemonade, from the girl sitting on a dusty road. The moment locks them together. Here and now, it’s dangerous to listen to your inner voice. Those who do, keep it quiet. These voices have purpose. And when Pilgrim meets Lacey, there is a reason. He just doesn’t know it, yet. The first in a four-part series.Post-apocalypse | TP | $32.99

Martians AbroadVaughn, Carrie
Polly Newton has one single-minded dream – to be a starship pilot, and travel the galaxy. Her mother, the Director of the Mars Colony, derails Polly’s plans, when she sends Polly and her genius twin brother, Charles, to Galileo Academy on Earth. Homesick and cut off from her plans for her future, Polly cannot seem to fit into life on Earth. Strange, unexplained, dangerous coincidences, centred on their high-profile classmates, begin piling up. Charles may be right – there’s more going on, than would appear, and the stakes are high. With the help of Charles, Polly is determined to find the truth, no matter the cost.YA science fiction | HC | $46.95

The Sword of the SouthWeber, David
The first in a new epic fantasy series by David Weber – set within his Bahzell Bahnakson/War God universe – in which a swordsman who has been robbed of his past must confront an evil wizard, with a world at stake.Fantasy | PBK | $19.95

HeartstoneWhite, Elle Katharine
They say a Rider, in possession of a good blade, must be in want of a monster to slay – and Merybourne Manor has plenty of monsters. Passionate, headstrong Aliza Bentaine knows this all too well; she’s already lost one sister to the invading gryphons. So, when Lord Merybourne hires a band of Riders to hunt down the horde, Aliza is relieved her home will soon be safe, again. Her relief is short lived. With the arrival of the haughty and handsome dragonrider, Alastair Daired, Aliza expects a battle; what she doesn’t expect is a romantic clash of wills, pitting words and wit against the pride of an ancient house. Nor does she anticipate the mystery that follows them, from Merybourne Manor, its roots running deep as the foundations of the kingdom itself, where something old and dreadful slumbers… something far more sinister, than gryphons. ‘Pride and prejudice, and dragons, oh my!’ – Booklist.Historical fantasy | TP | $29.99

The Heart of What Was Lost (Tales of Osten Ard 01)Williams, Tad
Following directly on from the events of To Green Angel Tower, the Norns and the Storm King Ineluki have been defeated at the Battle for the Hayholt; Seoman and Miriamele, the new king and queen, order their victorious armies to shadow the retreating Norns. One of the enemy group is escorting the huge funeral cortege of one of their leaders, on their journey they become detached and trapped in the ancient fortress of Tangleroot on the frontier. As well as their dead lord, they carry a great magical artefact, a stone called the Heart of What Was Lost, one of the last relics of their ancient civilisation. Soon, the fortress is invested, the battle commences, and bloodshed and magic flow. Tad Williams returns to the beloved world he created, almost thirty years ago, in Memory, Sorrow and Thorn. A hardcover edition is also available ($43.95).Fantasy | TP | $29.99

Last YearWilson, Robert Charles
Two events made September 1st a memorable day for Jesse Cullum. First, he lost a pair of Oakley sunglasses. Second, he saved the life of President Ulysses S Grant. It’s the near future, and the technology exists to open doorways into the past – but not our past, not exactly. Each ‘past’ is effectively an alternate world, identical to ours but only up to the date on which we access it. And a given ‘past’ can only be reached once. After a passageway is open, it’s the only road to that particular past; once closed, it can’t be reopened. A passageway has been opened to a version of late 19th-century Ohio. It’s been in operation for most of a decade, but it’s no secret, on either side of time. A small city has grown up around it to entertain visitors from our time, and many locals earn a good living, catering to them. But like all such operations, it has a shelf life; as the ‘natives’ become more sophisticated, their version of the ‘past’ grows less attractive as a destination. Jesse Cullum is a native. And he knows the passageway will be closing soon. He’s fallen in love with a woman from our time, and he means to follow her back – no matter whose secrets he has to expose, in order to do it.Science fiction | HC | $36.99